Educate us on our schools

Voters in the Springfield school district may soon be asked to pony up more tax money to plug "leaks" and fill "holes" in the district's budget.

But before the district takes such a request to the public, most likely in April, the public needs to know exactly where those leaks are and how those holes will be filled.

The school board heard a proposal last week that would put a two-pronged tax request - one for an increased tax levy and the other to continue a bond issue - on the ballot. The $71.65 million bond issue would pay for a new school, classroom expansions, building renovations and technology upgrades. The 25-cent tax levy increase would generate about $8 million a year to pay for more teachers and staff and increase salaries.

We don't question the need for more space and more teachers - a demographic study projects consistently rising enrollment over the next 10 years. Most voters, especially those with children sitting in crowded classrooms, are also likely to recognize this trend.

Financial strains also are easy to believe. With federal and state funding flat as the economy has foundered, every school district is faced with making spending cuts. Springfield has been no exception, although the district has done an admirable job of keeping needed services while cutting positions and even some programs.

Now, the challenge is to demonstrate to equally economically strained voters how this financial plan will make a difference and deserves their support.

As board member Andy Hosmer, the father of children in the district, said, the district must communicate "the correct perception" of the financial situation. It is Hosmer who pointed out that the public does not always "see all the leaks and ... holes."

We commend the district and board for the work done to keep the schools functioning, students learning and teachers teaching despite cuts, but we also want to know that the building and renovation projects planned will provide the best bang for the public's hard-earned bucks.

Providing that information to voters in such a short time frame could prove difficult. The district has surely known about its looming needs for some time, so bringing it to the public just three months before the election is a concern.

There are legitimate questions about the construction projects proposed - about the use of existing facilities, about special education and early childhood education possibilities.

Board vice chair Kris Callen made some convincing points during a meeting with the News-Leader Editorial Board. Supporting the district through local funding, rather than being too dependent on state and federal monies, gives us more local control and flexibility, she pointed out. Still, with signs of economic improvement, the district could end up with the financial ability to restore programs and staffing that had to be cut during the recession.

Springfield is the second largest school district in the state, yet it ranks only 353rd of the state's 520 districts in operating tax levy. (If the levy increase is passed, we would move up to 280, still in the bottom half of the state.) That fact is both troubling and amazing. The district is doing so much with that lower levy, but if the community puts a high value on education, we should want to rank much higher.

Asking the voters to do that is fair, but presenting this balancing act of both bond issue and tax levy could be dangerous. If the bond issue passes but the levy fails, the district will have money for infrastructure to handle a growing student population, but not enough to staff those extra classrooms. If the levy passes but the bond issue fails, the district will have funds needed to hire teachers and staff and improve existing salaries, but will still be faced with bulging and aging schools.

Our education reporter, Claudette Riley, will continue to delve into these issues. She has been covering the district for several years and is familiar with both the needs and debates surrounding the proposed solutions. That experience and her commitment to investigative journalism means we will have plenty of information to consider before the April election.

And, in the next three months, we will devote plenty of this space to discussing that information and its impact on the election and our children's education.

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Educate us on our schools

Voters in the Springfield school district may soon be asked to pony up more tax money to plug 'leaks' and fill 'holes' in the district's budget.